Republican Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) walked back Sunday a highly controversial, cryptic tweet he posted following the federal indictment of former President Donald Trump last week.

Higgins’s Congressional office released an official statement on Sunday titled, “Higgins Warns Conservatives Against ‘Falling For The Trap The DOJ/FBI Has Set.’” In the lengthy statement, Higgins warns that federal authorities are engaged in “entrapment-staging.”

“My fellow conservatives, the DOJ/FBI doesn’t expect to imprison Trump, they expect to imprison you. They want J6 again, in Miami and in your city and in mine,” the Republican Congressman declared in a conspiratorial tone.

The unwieldy statement comes days after Higgins was widely condemned for a tweet that many critics saw as a call to violent insurrection against the U.S. government. Higgins tweeted:

President Trump said he has “been summoned to appear at the Federal Courthouse in Miami on Tuesday, at 3 PM.”

This is a perimeter probe from the oppressors. Hold. rPOTUS has this.

Buckle up. 1/50K know your bridges. Rock steady calm. That is all.

Jeff Sharlet, a bestselling author and expert on right-wing militias, explained that Higgins’s message was a battle call. “Prepare for war. ‘Know your bridges’ is militia speak for closing them down. County level insurrection,” Sharlet noted, interpreting “Buckle up” as code for “prepare for war.”

Higgins concluded his statement on Sunday by making clear to his supporters that he does not condone violence.

“We will fight against this oppression. We are indeed, with every ounce of spirit, fighting against the insidious evil that threatens our beloved Republic, but We the People must fight against oppression legally, peacefully, and within the parameters of our Constitution,” Higgins concluded.

While Higgins did not post his statement on social media, he did offer a similar message to his followers in the same kind of language as the original post. “Patriots, we’ve manipulated the MSM to establish deep commo, now copy this… do NOT trip the wire they’ve laid for you. Maintain your family. Live your life. Know your bridges. Hold,” he tweeted on Saturday.

“Let Trump handle Trump, he’s got this. We use the Constitution as our only weapon. Peace. Hold,” he added.

Higgins was not the only House GOP member to use violent rhetoric aimed at federal authorities in the wake of Trump’s indictment. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) tweeted, “We have now reached a war phase. Eye for an eye.”

While Biggs has continued to call Congress to “hold the Biden DOJ accountable by defunding their efforts during the appropriations process,” as of Monday he has not walked back or clarified his “war phase” tweet.

Read Rep. Higgins’s full statement below:

“American conservatives are shocked at the level of corruption and targeted persecution we’re witnessing out of our DOJ and FBI. We are outraged and rightfully so, and we want to protect our freedoms and preserve our Republic. However, we’re not willing to violate our Constitution, even as we recognize the dire threat we face from our own government, as our federal law enforcement agencies are turned against us in violation of the Constitution. This latest DOJ persecution against President Trump is an example of more than just weaponization of our DOJ/FBI against a conservative American leader, it’s an example of the now SOP entrapment-staging that the FBI conducts.

My fellow conservatives, the DOJ/FBI doesn’t expect to imprison Trump, they expect to imprison you. They want J6 again, in Miami and in your city and in mine. They want MAGA conservatives to react to this perimeter probe and in doing so, set yourselves up for targeted persecution and further entrapment. They want to intercept a busload of conservatives en route to protest and create conflicts during the stop. They are hoping to provoke conservative Americans. Don’t fall for the trap. Maintain your family. Live your life. Live free and pay close attention and make your voice heard, yes… but don’t become an incarcerated pawn in the agenda driven DOJ/FBI strategy to oppress conservatives across America.

President Trump can take care of himself in court, he knows we’ve got his back. The DOJ knows they’ve got nothing on him. They’re doing this because they want you to let your anger overwhelm your strategic judgment and they expect you to step willingly into their trap. Don’t do it. Be aware and be prepared for anything, know your bridges as we say… but maintain your calm. Rock steady calm.

We will fight against this oppression. We are indeed, with every ounce of spirit, fighting against the insidious evil that threatens our beloved Republic, but We the People must fight against oppression legally, peacefully, and within the parameters of our Constitution.”

The post GOP Congressman Walks Back Apparent Call For Insurrection, Calls Trump Indictment ‘Entrapment-Staging’: ‘They Want J6 Again’ first appeared on Mediaite.

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